The Web3 world is an ever-evolving network composed of various blockchain protocols and the networks they support. Each network tends to follow its own development path, hoping to compete for a place in the fierce market competition, and at the same time, each network must deal with a series of complexities caused by the need to establish bridges for cross-protocol connections. challenges and vulnerabilities.

Although there are sometimes ups and downs, everyone is looking forward to a broader vision of a more interconnected, interoperable, multi-chain ecosystem compared to the isolated blockchain concept. As a key player in moving towards a more secure and connected Web3 ecosystem, the EOS Network is committed to realizing the vision of a truly interoperable future. But what does the promise of an interoperable Web3 ecosystem actually mean? Why is it so important to the future of EOS and Web3 as a whole?

In this article, we will delve into the nuances of a multi-chain future in the context of Web3. We will also explore the critical infrastructure components required to realize this ambitious vision and examine the strategic steps EOS is actively taking to achieve these broader ecosystem goals. By unifying disparate blockchain networks under a common interoperability framework, EOS aims to not only improve its own utility, but also help build a more cohesive and powerful Web3 environment. So, let’s start unlocking the transformative potential of this vision of interoperability.

Web3 interoperability and multi-chain theory

Interoperability ensures that Alice can use tokens in blockchain A to interact with smart contracts or applications on blockchain B without going through a tedious and costly conversion process.

The ability for different blockchain networks to interact seamlessly, allowing for the exchange of data, assets and even computation, is the essence of interoperability. The purpose of interoperability is to transcend today’s walled garden networks and enable them to form more vibrant ecosystems by building bridges that reduce inefficiencies and increase the overall utility and reach of blockchain applications in any given network.

In line with this vision, the multi-chain theory believes that the future of Web3, or the third iteration of the network, will not be dominated by a single blockchain, but rather a network of multiple blockchains, each of which Both serve specialized use cases and communities. This future value ecosystem will include a network of interconnected blockchains that share liquidity, data, and users.

Key concepts to understand:

bridge:

A bridge is a connector between two different blockchains, allowing assets and data to move back and forth between them. These bridges can be centralized or decentralized, and often involve smart contracts that lock assets on one chain and mint corresponding tokens on another chain. The purpose of the bridge is to enable smooth transactions between different blockchain networks.

Oracle:

Oracles are third-party services that provide external information to smart contracts. They act as a link between the blockchain and the outside world, allowing real-world data such as weather, stock prices, and even election results to be incorporated into blockchain-based applications.

Smart contract:

Any user-deployable logic that runs on-chain can be considered a smart contract. More broadly, smart contracts are self-executing contracts whose terms are effectively written into lines of code. They are often the backbone of decentralized applications (dApps) and are crucial for automating various processes in the blockchain ecosystem.

Understanding these concepts will give you a solid foundation to understand the significance of the steps the EOS network is taking to build an interoperable, multi-chain future. We will explore this topic in detail in the remainder of this article.

Interoperability is a strategic mission: An introduction to Antelope IBC

For the EOS Network Foundation (ENF), the promise of interoperability is not just an abstract ideal; it is an operational requirement integrated into the foundational layers of the EOS ecosystem. The EOS Network Foundation's efforts to revitalize and liberate the EOSIO codebase led to the creation of the community-led, free and open source Antelope protocol. When working with Antelope Alliance partners (Telos, UX Network and WAX Blockchain), the EOS Network Foundation has always prioritized the scalability and flexibility of Antelope Leap, which is provided for EOS and other Antelope-based chains. Core C++ implementation of supported protocols.

Antelope IBC can be regarded as a trustless network bridge between various blockchains in the Antelope community.

Through cooperation with Antelope Alliance members UX Network and EOS Network Foundation technical engineers, Antelope Alliance launched Antelope Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC), which can provide trustless IBC between all blockchains built on Antelope. Effectively facilitate seamless horizontal scaling.

In this highly novel approach, Antelope IBC can be considered a trustless network bridge between various blockchains in the Antelope community. By providing such an elegant and efficient way for these blockchains to interact, Antelope IBC lays the foundation for a more cohesive and capable ecosystem, underpinned by trustless, secure cross-chain transactions.

To learn more about how Antelope IBC achieves this goal, you can click here to read a previously published article and browse the Antelope Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) smart contract infrastructure documentation .

New perspectives from IBC webinars

In a recent webinar titled “Exploring Antelope IBC: For Aspiring Builders,” participants shared a wealth of information about the inner workings and future directions of Antelope IBC. Lead developer Guillaume Babin-Tremblay revealed ambitious plans to expand trustless IBC to other popular networks, including Ethereum.

"Building bridges isn't just about connecting blockchains, it's about unlocking the potential of each network. We see Ethereum as a key pillar of the connected future we are building with Antelope IBC." — Guillaume Babin-Tremblay

This is particularly noteworthy given Ethereum’s broad user base and its numerous DeFi and NFT projects, which are potentially accessible to both EOS users and other Antelope Alliance blockchains. To sign up and review this enlightening webinar, visit and read the accompanying article .

EOS EVM: Enhanced interoperability with third-party bridges and oracles

Now, when we turn our attention to the EOS EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine), we will find another layer of opportunities in terms of interoperability. The EOS EVM serves as an interface that allows EOS to emulate the functionality of the Ethereum blockchain. This compatibility layer opens the door for Ethereum-based applications to run on EOS, but it also provides opportunities for enhanced interoperability through third-party bridges and oracles.

The role of oracles in EOS EVM

Oracles serve as conduits for real-world data into the blockchain ecosystem, playing a key role in enhancing interoperability. Given that smart contracts cannot access external data on their own, the role of oracles becomes even more important. When it comes to EOS EVM, third-party oracles can bridge the gap not only between real-world data and EOS, but also between EOS and other blockchain networks like Ethereum.

Bridges and oracles running on EOS EVM

To learn more about what Pyth has to offer the EOS ecosystem, you can browse the following resources. :

Disadvantages of third-party solutions

Reliance on third-party bridges and oracles is not without its challenges. These include potential vulnerabilities for malicious attacks, increased latency due to multiple layers of communication, and trust issues when dealing with third-party providers.

In fact, as CoinTelegraph reported in its article, half of all DeFi attacks are cross-chain bridge hacks : “Over the past two years, more than $2.5 billion has been stolen from cross-chain bridges.” These concerns highlight the importance of building secure and The importance of trustless solutions.

Technical engineers at the EOS Network Foundation (ENF) are aware of these vulnerabilities and have been working hard to build a trustless bridge solution on EOS EVM. While third-party solutions play a role in expanding the reach of the EOS ecosystem, in-house trustless solutions provide a higher level of security and reliability. In the next section, we’ll dive into how ENF is spearheading a robust trustless bridge solution for a safer, more seamless cross-chain future.

EOS EVM Trustless Bridge: Pioneering Seamless Interoperability

In this day and age, seamless interaction between various blockchain ecosystems is a key factor for large-scale adoption, and the EOS Network Foundation (ENF) is going all out to build a trustless bridge solution on EOS EVM. The initiative addresses the inherent limitations of third-party bridges by focusing on security, efficiency, and user-friendly interfaces.

Safety:

As the name suggests, the EVM Trustless Bridge provides a trustless mechanism to move tokens and data between EOS EVM and EOS Native environments. In this case, "trustless" means that users do not need additional trust to ensure the safe operation of the EOS EVM contract, and generally also ensure the security of the EOS blockchain itself as a smart contract platform. The bridge operates without the need for any intermediary to hold keys and signed messages for the two environments at either end of the bridge.

efficiency:

EOS EVM runs on the EOS blockchain as a smart contract. This provides the opportunity, in many cases, to perform the entire process of transferring data and assets from one environment to another in a single EOS atomic transaction. Users deposit tokens from the EOS Native environment into the EOS EVM and can see that the deposit is initiated and completed as quickly as EOS transactions are processed.

Additionally, if the deposit transaction fails for any reason, the system will not be in a locked state where users need to wait for the automatic refund process to complete, or users need to initiate a manual process to get their tokens back. The benefits of atomicity also apply in the direction from EOS EVM to EOS Native, at least when it comes to withdrawing EOS and some other tokens. For general IBC from EOS EVM to EOS Native, a two-stage non-atomic solution will be required, however, EOS still enables the second stage to be finalized within 0.5 seconds of launching the first stage.

friendly user:

The EVM trustless bridge is designed to provide a seamless token deposit/withdrawal experience for EOS EVM users who may not even have an EOS Native account. Users can deposit their EOS (or other supported tokens) directly from a centralized exchange into their EOS EVM account by providing their account address in the transfer Memo. Users can also withdraw their EOS (or other supported tokens) from the EOS EVM directly to any EOS account (including those on centralized exchanges) by using the convenient EVM trustless bridge front-end tool, which works with Used in conjunction with commonly used EVM wallets such as MetaMask.

EOS EVM trustless bridge current feature introduction:

Deposit EOS to EVM account:

Users can recharge EOS in their EOS account and centralized trading account directly to the EOS EVM address.

Centralized exchange account recharge:

This feature eliminates the obstacles caused by the cumbersome EOS account creation and resource management process, allowing users who are not familiar with EOS to get started easily and quickly.

EOS account recharge:

For those who already have an EOS account, the bridge makes it easy to deposit EOS to the EOS EVM address by sending EOS to the EOS EVM contract account and specifying the intended EVM address in the Memo field.

Extract EOS from the EOS EVM address:

Users can withdraw EOS from an EOS EVM address to their external EOS account by connecting the EOS EVM wallet to the bridge and specifying the balance to be sent.

Withdraw to EOS account:

This simple withdrawal process only requires sending the target EOS account and the specified token balance. The Memo field is optional.

Withdraw money to a centralized exchange account:

This process requires specifying the exchange's target EOS account and the correct Memo fields required to serve as a unique identifier within the exchange's system.

Work with exchanges for inline operations

The EOS Network Foundation has been actively working to integrate exchanges and support inline operations, thereby establishing a more direct and efficient bridge between exchanges and EOS EVM.

Latest progress in cooperation with major exchanges

Both OKX and Gate.io have recently enabled inline operations, and now EOS can be withdrawn directly from the EOS EVM to OKX accounts! The implementation of this basic functionality paves the way for smoother transactions and wider adoption of EOS. With the addition of support for tokens such as USDT, widely used currencies such as stablecoins will also be supported through inline operations.

In addition, the EOS Network Foundation is also doing its best to actively promote cooperation with Binance . As one of the world's leading cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance's addition of inline operations will further promote the development of EOS.

The future of trustless bridges on EOS EVM

The current trustless bridge solution allows safe and risk-free transfer of EOS tokens between native EOS and EOS EVM environments. The advanced version of the bridge is planned to be launched in two phases and is designed to enable deeper integration and communication between EVM and EOS smart contracts.

The ultimate goal of our work is to enable these contracts to communicate as seamlessly as contracts on different Antelope chains with the help of Antelope IBC. Given that both EOS and the EOS EVM are on the same blockchain, this communication can occur more efficiently without the need for cryptographic signatures or waiting for transactions to be finalized.

Trustless bridge supports USDT (EOS)

In the first phase, our work will focus on building a basic foundation to support trading of any eosio.token compatible token, such as USDT. This foundation will continue to be expanded in the future to support more complex, IBC-like communication mechanisms. This "two-step" development approach aims to achieve a balance between immediate availability and future scalability.

The EOS EVM trustless bridge is more than just a tool, it marks a big step towards a more integrated, accessible, and secure Web3 ecosystem. As this trustless bridge continues to develop, EOS will be at the forefront of the blockchain interoperability wave.

EOS network

The EOS network is a model of the blockchain 3.0 era, powered by EOS VM. EOS VM is a low-latency, high-performance and scalable WebAssembly engine that can achieve deterministic transaction execution with near-intuitive performance. The EOS network is designed specifically for Web3 and is committed to enabling the best Web3 user and developer experience. EOS is the flagship blockchain and financial center of the Antelope protocol, and uses the EOS Network Foundation (ENF) as a tool for multi-chain collaboration and development of public basic products to further improve the infrastructure and drive the rapid development of EOS.

EOS EVM

EOS EVM is a simulation of the Ethereum EVM and is located in the EOS smart contract. EOS EVM will provide the same functionality as other EVMs in the space, but with unparalleled speed, performance and compatibility advantages. EOS EVM connects the EOS ecosystem with the Ethereum ecosystem, allowing developers to deploy a large number of Solidity-based digital assets and innovative dApps on EOS. Developers can use the EOS EVM to leverage Ethereum’s battle-tested open source code, tools, libraries, and SDK while taking advantage of EOS’ superior performance.

EOS Network Foundation

The EOS Network Foundation (ENF) was born to create a prosperous, decentralized and future for the EOS ecosystem. By encouraging the active participation of major EOS ecological stakeholders, supporting community projects, providing ecosystem funding, and supporting the construction of an open technology ecosystem, ENF is setting off a new round of Web3 changes. As the center of the EOS network and a leading open source platform, ENF was founded in 2021 and has a stable set of frameworks, tools and blockchain deployment libraries. Together we enable innovation in community building and work to create a stronger future for all.